COIMBATORE: A 56-year-old load man was awarded 20 years of imprisonment and imposed a Rs 25,000 penalty for sexually assaulting the minor. The assailant, Swaminathan, committed the crime against the 15-year-old victim on December 23, 2019, when she had gone to fetch water from his house in Modakurichi.

She then became pregnant and gave birth to a girl in September 2020. Based on her parents' complaint, Swaminathan was booked on various counts, including the Pocso Act and issuing life threats. The Mahila Court judge Sornakumar pronounced the verdict on Wednesday. If the accused defaults on the fine, he would be jailed for nine more months. The court also directed the State to pay the victim compensation of Rs 4 lakh.